


The Patient

by GalaxyMuse



Series: Gold Saints Anthology [4]
Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: Explicit Language, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mental Institutions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-05 02:11:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6685060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyMuse/pseuds/GalaxyMuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twelve men donning golden armor guard the Sanctuary of Athena in Greece, the Goddess of Wisdom and War. The strongest of all her soldiers, these golden saints guard each house of the Zodiac. While they all serve the efforts of good, the paths that led them to Greece are as diverse as the corners of the Earth they were from. Some earned their cloths with joy, others in the wake of sadness, while others yet through ambition. How they became the saints they were was once shrouded in mystery until now.</p><p>These are the stories of how the twelve gold saints of the Sanctuary Arc earned their cloths.<br/>(Sanctuary arc of Anime/Manga)<br/>A VERY special thanks to my friends at Overactive Imagination who helped me edit/bounce ideas around for this anthology! (And to KnightlyWordSmith for helping as well!)<br/>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>[For: Grand Pope Arles]<br/>[CONFIDENTIAL]<br/>The letters and recordings of this package concern the nomination and subsequent participation of Deathmask in the upcoming Trial for the Gold Cloth. Please send immediately to the Pope for review.<br/>-Ophiuchus Mauro</p><p>TRIGGER WARNINGS: Child abuse, Mental Institutions</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 26/06/1975
> 
> Great Pope Arles,
> 
> I first would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to read this letter and review the documents and transcripts I've included. I know it's a rather large package to have received, but I feel that all of this information is vital to understanding why I am writing to you.
> 
> I am certainly in no position to question the will of Athena nor your own, but I implore you to at least contemplate the information I've collected on this nominee for the Cancer Cloth. I feel that while his power and potential far exceeds any of my current students and arguably, any student I've ever had, he does not have the adequate behavior befitting of a gold saint. The things he has gone through are unspeakably horrific, and I fear they've misshaped his judgment in such a manner that he would use his cloth for ill gains.
> 
> I have attached all of the documentation and audio recordings in as chronological of an order as I could from my investigation. If there are any gaps, it is only because I couldn't find additional items, or the documents were far too damaged to be readable.
> 
> I await your response, and may Athena's wisdom be your own.
> 
> Your Faithful Servant,  
> -Ophiuchus Mauro

20/09/1971

Patient #722

Audio Recording #1A-TRANSCRIPT BY OPHUICHUS MAURO

1 DR. DAMIANI: This is interview number one with patient number seven twenty-two, Sergio Imperlini, conducted by Doctor Salvatore Damiani.  
2 SERGIO: What is that machine?  
3 DR. DAMIANI: It's here to record what we say.  
4 SERGIO: Why would you want to do that?  
5 DR. DAMIANI: So we can keep track of making you better.  
6 SERGIO: But there's nothing wrong with me!  
7 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio, please tell us who you see.  
8 SERGIO: I see my Nonna1. She's right over there! Can't you see her too?!  
9 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio, when did you begin seeing her?  
10 SERGIO: A few months ago I think, after my birthday.  
11 (scribbling)  
12 DR. DAMIANI: Did anything happen to you before you saw her?  
13 SERGIO: What do you mean?  
14 DR. DAMIANI: Did something happen at home, by you or anyone else, that led to you seeing Nonna. Did somebody hurt you? Did you fall?  
15 SERGIO: I made a wish that she was okay in heaven on my birthday, and then she came a few weeks later.  
16 (more scribbling)  
17 DR. DAMIANI: And what has she been telling you?  
18 SERGIO: Just to be good to Madre usually. Can I eat now? I'm really hungry, and nobody came yesterday with food.  
19 DR. DAMIANI: You'll have food later tonight.  
20 SERGIO: So what's the point of this?  
21 DR. DAMIANI: It's for us to understand what you're seeing.  
22 SERGIO: But can't you see her yourself?! Why can nobody see her?  
23 DR. DAMIANI: We're here to find out. Nurse, please send him back to his room.  
24 SERGIO: Please give me food when we get back?  
25 NURSE: Quiet now, and we'll see.  
26 (sniffling from Sergio, and the sound of a chair being scooted. Shuffling, and a door closing)  
27 DR. DAMIANI: End of session number one with Patient number seven twenty-two, Sergio Imperlini. Strong belief in hallucinations. Will conduct subsequent interviews after a few weeks on chlorpromazine2 to see if it aids in patient's ailment.

[END OF RECORDING]

-

 

31/10/1971

Patient #722

Audio Recording #6F-TRANSCRIPT BY OPHUICHUS MAURO

1 (A steely door opens, slamming shut soon after. the incoherent moaning of a grown man is heard nonstop)  
3 NURSE: Sergio, it's time for your medicine.  
4 SERGIO: He's doing it again. That noise.  
5 NURSE: Sergio, he's always going to make that noise.  
6 SERGIO: Can't you get him to stop?  
7 (A few footsteps and a loud smack is heard. Followed by a man's cry of pain.)  
8 SERGIO: NOT LIKE THAT!!!  
9 NURSE: SHUT UP. YOU WANTED HIM QUIET? NOW HE IS.  
10 MAN: (Sniffling and whimpering)  
11 SERGIO: He's just crying now! How is that any better?!  
12 NURSE: Just open up, you need to take your pills.  
13 SERGIO; NO! I DON'T WANT THEM!  
14 (A struggle is heard, followed by the ruffling of sheets and a scraping of metal. It is immediately followed by another smack. Sergio shouting, followed by a gagging sound.)  
16 NURSE: There. I'll be back tomorrow.  
17 SERGIO: YOU FORGOT THE FOOD AGAIN YOU PORCA PUTTANA3!  
18 NURSE: Later tonight someone will come with it.  
19 SERGIO: NO THEY WON'T! DON'T LIE TO-  
20 (Metallic door slams closed)

[END OF RECORDING]

-

 

11/12/1971

Patient #722

Audio recording #7B -TRANSCRIPT BY OPHIUCHUS MAURO

1 DR. DAMIANI: This is interview number five with patient number seven twenty-two, Sergio Imperlini, conducted by Doctor Salvatore Damiani.  
2 SERGIO: Why do you always have that dumb recorder running next to me?  
3 DR. DAMIANI: Because we want to listen to what you have to say, Sergio.  
4 SERGIO: That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard.  
5 DR. DAMIANI: Patient continues to use vulgar vocabulary after admittance.  
6 SERGIO: Uh, I'm right here. My name is Sergio. SER-GI-O. You just used it a minute ago.  
7 DR. DAMIANI: I understand that, Sergio.  
8 SERGIO: Then why are you calling me 'Patient?!'  
9 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio, can you please tell me about Nonna?  
10 (Exasperated sigh)  
11 SERGIO: She's right over there, you can ask her yourself.  
12 (A few seconds of silence pass)  
13 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio-  
14 SERGIO: I know. There's nothing there, right?  
15 DR. DAMIANI: Right. Sergio, why do you think that is?  
16 SERGIO: Why what is?  
17 DR. DAMIANI: Why do you think nobody can see Nonna but you?  
18 SERGIO: I don't know, and it's REALLY BOTHERING ME NOW!  
19 DR. DAMIANI: Well Sergio, let's think about it. Why would we all lie to you if we could see her?  
20 SERGIO: YOU LIE ALL THE TIME! YOU LIE ABOUT WHEN I'M GOING TO GET FOOD!  
21 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio, we've always fed you. Let me show you.  
22 (Rustling of paper)  
23 DR. DAMIANI: Do you see this? It's our feeding schedule. And look, you see this row? That's you. We came by just this morning with your breakfast.  
24 SERGIO: Y-you did?  
25 DR. DAMIANI: Of course we did. Your nurse comes by every day at these times with food.  
26 SERGIO: But...I didn't see it!  
27 DR. DAMIANI: Well, we can't see Nonna either.  
28 (A few seconds of silence pass)  
29 DR. DAMIANI: Do you see the problem Sergio? Why you're here?  
30 SERGIO: I didn't see it! I didn't see it!!  
31 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio. You didn't see us coming with food, and I just showed you we did. You can see your Nonna, but nobody else can see her. Don't you think this is strange?  
32 SERGIO: I...but...  
33 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio, I don't think you can trust what your eyes are telling you. That's why you're here. We're here to help you believe what you're seeing.  
34 SERGIO: But...but I _can_ trust myself! Nonna just said I-  
35 DR. DAMIANI: I can't hear Nonna say anything.  
36 (Sniffling)  
37 SERGIO: B-but she's here....she is....why can't you see her?  
38 DR. DAMIANI: Because she's not there, Sergio. You'll figure that out in time, too. Let's 39 help you realize that.  
40 SERGIO: I...she's not there?  
41 DR. DAMIANI: No.  
42 (A few seconds of silence)  
43 SERGIO: But, I hear her crying now.  
44 DR. DAMIANI: It's all in your head, Sergio. Nobody is sad at this progress we've made today.  
45 (A few more seconds of silence and then a sigh)  
46 SERGIO: Ok.  
47 DR. DAMIANI: Nurse, please take him back to his room.  
48 (Shuffling is heard followed by a door closing.)  
49 DR. DAMIANI: This is the end of interview number five with patient number seven twenty-two. Drugs seem to be working, beginning to question validity of visions of Nonna. Will continue to observe behavior and see if ailments continue to improve.

[END OF RECORDING]

-

 

22/11/1971

Patient #722

Audio recording #7F-TRANSCRIPT BY OPHIUCHUS MAURO  
  
1 DR. DAMIANI: This is interview number nine with patient number seven twenty-two, Sergio Imperlini, conducted by Doctor Salvatore Damiani.  
2 SERGIO: My Nonna's gone.  
3 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio, could you please repeat that?  
4 SERGIO: I fucking told you, she's gone. What are you, deaf?  
5 DR. DAMIANI: So you're saying you don't see her anymore?  
6 SERGIO: Yeah, just for now though. She said she'd be back.  
7 DR. DAMIANI: Do you truly believe that she'll be back?  
8 SERGIO: Yeah, she went looking for something.  
9 DR. DAMIANI: Did she tell you where she went?  
10 SERGIO: Back to where she lives now.  
11 DR. DAMIANI: And where is that?  
12 SERGIO: Somewhere dark. And cold. She says it's nothing like where we are now, or what was promised if you were good in life. Everybody wanders there.  
13 DR. DAMIANI: And what is she looking for?  
14 SERGIO: A way to help you see her. So I can finally get the fuck out of here.  
15 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio-  
16 SERGIO: I'M TELLING YOU, SHE EXISTS! SHE'S HERE! AND ONCE SHE COMES BACK, I'LL BE ABLE TO PROVE IT TO YOU!  
17 DR. DAMIANI: If she doesn't come back, I just want you to understand that-  
18 (Loud slam near the microphone)  
19 SERGIO: SHE WILL COME BACK! I BELIEVE IN HER!  
20 DR. DAMIANI: Nurse, please take the patient back, this interview is done.  
21 SERGIO: AND I KNOW YOU'RE LYING ABOUT THE FOOD! PLEASE! PLEASE! I'M STARVING!!!  
22 (Sound of rustling, And Sergio being dragged away.)  
23 DR. DAMIANI: End of session number nine with patient number seven twenty-two. Hallucinations temporarily gone. However, patient is convinced they will return. Will continue monitoring and increase dosage of chlorpromazine in the hopes that hallucinations will end permanently.

[END OF RECORDING]

-

 

03/01/1972

Patient #722

Audio recording #8F -TRANSCRIPT BY OPHIUCHUS MAURO

1 DR. DAMIANI: This is interview number ten with patient number seven twenty-two, Sergio Imperlini, conducted by Doctor Salvatore Damiani.  
2 SERGIO: Wow, that many already?  
3 DR. DAMIANI: Now Sergio, your nurse tells me you've been practicing something.  
4 SERGIO: Yes.  
5 DR. DAMIANI: Now this word, you say Nonna taught it to you?  
6 SERGIO: Yes.  
7 DR. DAMIANI: Can you tell me what the word is?  
8 SERGIO: Sekishik, shishi, ha. No, that's not it.  
9 DR. DAMIANI: And Nonna says this will help us see her?  
10 SERGIO: Uh-huh. But I have to practice it and say it right first.  
11 DR. DAMIANI: I see. Do you still believe you are not being fed? I can show you the schedule again if you like.  
13 SERGIO: No, I know I'm not. But as soon as I get the hang of this word, you'll believe me and I can go home. So it doesn't matter.  
14 DR. DAMIANI: Very well. While it's okay for you to practice this word, please understand that you can't damage your room by writing on the wall.  
15 SERGIO: Well seeing as I don't get food, I figured there was no point in asking for paper.  
16 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio, please understand that we are giving you the best treatment possible.  
17 SERGIO: Oh? I'd like to see you tell that to my roommate. Who can literally do nothing but sit and moan. And your treatment of simply smacking him does absolutely nothing but make it worse. I can't rely on you for anything, so, I'm going to fix the problem for you. Just wait and see. Once I learn this word, you'll see I'm right. And then maybe the goddamn nurses here will finally let me eat and I can go home. Just wait and see.  
18 (An unknown quiet female whisper, indistinct)  
19 SERGIO: You hear that? Nonna and I are ready to show you that she's here. She hears this word whenever she goes home. People there warn her not to tell it to me, that a kid shouldn't use it. So I know it's dangerous. But if it means I can prove to you she's here, then it's worth it.  
20 DR. DAMIANI: If that's what you believe, Sergio. It's time to go back to your room.  
21 (Sound of a chair scooting and a door closing)  
22 DR. DAMIANI: This is the end of interview number ten with patient seven twenty-two. Patient's determination to prove Nonna's existence has not been deterred and has become more of an obsession, verging on menacing. Increase dosage, and alternative treatment may need to be sought.

[END OF RECORDING]

-

 

05/01/1972

Patient #722

Audio recording #9L-TRANSCRIPT BY OPHIUCHIS MAURO

1 (the sound of an opening door)  
2 NURSE: Sergio, it's time to eat.  
3 SERGIO: He died.  
4 NURSE: Who?  
5 SERGIO: Him. Last night.  
6 (Sound of rustling)  
7 NURSE: I'll get some other nurses to take him away, then.  
8 SERGIO: And I want to show you something.  
9 NURSE: What are you pointing at?  
10 SERGIO: Nonna, get out of the way. Sekishiki Meikai Ha!  
11 NURSE: Sergio, what are you-what is that?!  
12 SERGIO: Do you see her now?!  
13 (Screaming, the sound of choking. A hard thud on the ground.)  
14 SERGIO: Nonna, why isn't she moving?

[END OF RECORDING]

-

 

15/01/1972

Patient #722

Audio recording #11A-TRANSCRIPT BY OPHIUCHUS MAURO

1 DR. DAMIANI: This is interview number twelve with patient number seven twenty-two, Sergio Imperlini, conducted by Doctor Salvatore Damiani.  
2 SERGIO: I'm pretty sure I know why I'm here.  
3 DR. DAMIANI: You're a smart boy. Since you know, let's begin. Tell me what happened on the fifth of January, and we need you to be honest. Please start with what happened to your roommate.  
4 SERGIO: Well there's no point in lying. So I might as well be honest. Here's what happened.  
5 (scooting chair, a clearing of a throat)  
6 SERGIO: My roommate was making more noises than usual. They were weak and it sounded like he was worried about something. So, I turned to Nonna. She said the man might be dying, since she remembers having that look on her face when she died. I thought that maybe if he could see Nonna, then he would be less scared when it was time for him to go.  
7 DR. DAMIANI: I see. What happened next?  
8 SERGIO: I had been practicing the words that Nonna taught me. So I thought this would be a good time to try it, to help my roommate. I said the words and it looked like the room was glowing. My hands began to glow too. So I raised a finger into the air, pointing it to Nonna. My roommate looked like he could finally see her, but he only looked more terrified instead of relieved. Then, everything went dark again and he stopped moving.  
9 (Several seconds of silence, shuffling of paper, scribbling)  
10 DR. DAMIANI: Now explain what happened with the nurse.  
11 SERGIO: More or less the same thing, but this time she was alive. I mean, they were both alive, but this time she wasn't dying like he was. She came into the room, and I figured that I knew how the words worked. I wanted to show Nonna to her. So I said the words again. I figured maybe if she wasn't dying, she'd be able to see her without getting hurt. I guess I was wrong.  
12 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio, I asked you to be honest. Are you sure no one else was there? A guard, perhaps?  
13 SERGIO: No, just me and Nonna.  
14 (Several seconds of silence, more shuffling and more erratic scribbling, followed by a sigh)  
15 DR. DAMIANI: Since you continue to choose to lie to me, I have no choice but to take disciplinary action. Do you know what that means?  
16 SERGIO: I get even less food than I do now? That I get slapped like my roommate did?  
17 (Annoyed sigh)  
18 DR. DAMIANI: No, something that will work. Nurse, please send him into the solitary ward.  
19 (An older woman's voice from far away, indistinct)  
20 SERGIO: What? No! I didn't do anything! I'm not lying! Please, Nonna, help me!  
21 (Mostly indistinct older woman, yelling, a loud thud and the sound of several things hitting the floor in a crash followed by a frustrated grunt of Dr. Damiani, more shuffling.)  
22 DR. DAMIANI: SERGIO! There's no need to destroy the equipment. It won't change my decision.  
23 SERGIO: I wasn't even near the goddamn fucking equipment! You fucking saw it!  
24 (Yelling, screaming, shuffling and grunting, the voice of Sergio fades)  
25 DR. DAMIANI: This is the end of interview number twelve with patient number seven twenty-two. Patient is pushing boundaries, and has become more hostile and violent since the incident that resulted in the death of his roommate patient number seven ten, and nurse Abillati. Patient has been sent to the solitary ward for further monitoring. Hopefully, with time these outbursts will subside.

[END OF RECORDING]

-

 

09/02/1972

Patient #722

Audio 11P- TRANSCRIPT BY OPHIUCHUS MAURO

1 SERGIO: I didn't mean to kill them! Please! Stop it!  
2 (Sobbing, followed by loud banging.)  
3 GUARD: SHUT THE FUCK UP IN THERE YOU LITTLE KILLER!  
4 (Sniffle)  
5 SERGIO: I'm hungry...  
6 GUARD: You're always fucking hungry. Get over it!  
7 (Shaking of metal followed by panicked cries from Sergio)  
8 SERGIO: I see more people! They're in here with me!  
9 GUARD: What the hell are you talking about, there's only you in there!  
10 SERGIO: No no! More like Nonna! You know, the ones that morons like you can't see!  
11 GUARD: Whatever, you little monster. So what do they want? They hungry too?  
12 (Glass shattering, Guard yelling)  
13 GUARD: WHAT THE FUCK! What broke my mug?!  
14 SERGIO: The guy whose jaw you broke. According to him at least.  
15 GUARD: What? Who?!  
16 SERGIO: Seven Ten... Remember him?  
17 GUARD: The one you killed?  
18 SERGIO: I was only trying to help him! Just like I'm trying to help everyone else in here with me!  
19 (Loud racket of slamming doors, several doors. The pair are now yelling to hear each other)  
20 GUARD: HOW'RE YOU DOING THAT?!  
21 SERGIO: WHO SAID I WAS THE ONE DOING IT?! THEY ARE! THEY WANT ME TO SAY THE WORDS!  
22 GUARD: THE WORDS THAT FUCKING KILLED THE NURSE?! OH GOD, NO!  
23 SERGIO: SEKISHIKI MEIKAI HA!  
24 GUARD: NO! HOW THE HELL?! GET AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!  
25 (All goes silent, there's a crash of someone hitting the ground.)  
26 SERGIO: No...no! Why did they do that, Nonna?!

[END OF RECORDING]

-

 

10/02/1972

Patient #722

Audio recording #13B-TRANSCRIPT BY OPHIUCHUS MAURO

1 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio, let's talk about what happened yesterday.  
2 SERGIO: Interview number sixteen with patient number seven twenty-two, Sergio Imperlini, conducted by Doctor Salvatore Damiani.  
3 DR. DAMIANI: Yes...thank you, Sergio. Now let's discuss what happened yesterday.  
4 SERGIO: Patient seems rather disinclined to cooperate. It could be the dark, cold, wet room that he's been forced to sit in. Maybe the lack of nourishment. No, it's the dead people making other people dead. That must be why he clammed up.  
5 (A long inhale and a deep sigh)  
6 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio, this is impor-  
7 SERGIO: Patient considered asking about his mother, seeing as he hadn't seen her in a while, but once he saw her in his room with a rope mark on her neck...he figured that explained itself.  
8 (More silence as scribbling is heard)  
9 SERGIO: All those dead people, all of them dead because of the patient. The staff are becoming anxious, unwilling even to deliver food to the room. The patient has scratches on his arms from where he's reached under the door for the meals thrown at it instead of slid under it.  
10 (Scribbling continues)  
11 SERGIO: The patient has begun to question himself. Question what he sees, what he can do. The patient realizes that what he does means nothing if other people in power force him to do what they want.  
12 (Scribbling slows)  
13 SERGIO: He realizes what he can do can just as easily become a tool to those that want to inflict pain. The patient has made his decision.  
14 (Scribbling stops)  
15 SERGIO: He'll no longer inflict pain or use his powers as others want him to. If he's going to cause pain, it'll be on his terms.  
16 (Several seconds of heavy breathing.)  
17 SERGIO: SEKISHI-  
18 (Yelling and a loud crash, Sergio's muffled screams)  
19 DR. DAMIANI: SECURITY! SECURITY!  
20 (Doors slamming, Sergio's muffled screams and crying fade.)  
21 DR. DAMIANI: Nurse, get a bandage.  
22 NURSE: Right awa-  
23 DR. DAMIANI: GET A GODDAMN BANDAGE!  
24 (Static)

[END OF RECORDING]

-

 

18/02/1972

Patient #722

Audio Recording – No official record number – TRANSCRIPT BY OPHIUCHUS MAURO

 

1 DR. DAMIANI: This is Electroconvulsive therapy session number one on patient number seven twenty-two, Sergio Imperlini. We are bringing in the patient now, and will use my prototype device, the facial covering, for more efficient delivery4.  
2 (Muffled screams, a door opens, adults grunting as a small voice wails)  
3 SERGIO: LET ME GO!! Where am I?! Don’t put me on that table!!!  
4 (Further cries of protest as a group of adults grunt, the sound of dragging Sergio can be heard)|  
5 DR. DAMIANI: Hurry up and get the device on him. And whatever you do, don’t let him speak those words.  
6 SERGIO: STOP IT! W-what is that? NO! SEK-  
7 (Sergio’s voice is cut off. His voice is now muffled.)  
8 DR. DAMIANI: Patient is being strapped down. The device has now been placed on him. It appears that it fits. We shall begin with 80 volts.  
9 (Sound of electricity buzzing, followed by three machine's beeps. Violent rattling is heard along with muffled hyperventilation)  
10 DR. DAMIANI: The nurses are now holding the patient down as he seizes.  
11 (Rattling and panting continues for about a minute.)  
12 DR. DAMIANI: The nurse has signaled to me that his pulse is stable. The patient has stopped seizing. He is now unconscious. We will try the therapy again over the course of the next few weeks in an effort to calm him.  
13 (Soft wailing of an older woman is heard.)

[END OF RECORDING]

-

 

15/03/1972

Patient #722

Audio Recording – No official record number – TRANSCRIPT BY OPHIUCHUS MAURO

1 DR. DAMIANI: Patient is being brought in while protesting. Patient is in a straight jacket this time to avoid him lashing out at nurses again.  
2 SERGIO: NO! DON’T! STOP IT!  
3 DR. DAMIANI: Sergio, this is the only thing left that can help you.  
4 SERGIO: Help me?! You’ve done nothing but hurt me! FUCK YOU ALL!  
5 (Sergio cries)  
6 SERGIO: NONNA!  
7 DR. DAMIANI: Patient is being restrained. Device is being placed on him now.  
8 SERGIO: No…please…I DON’T WANT THE DEATH MASK ANYMORE!  
9 (Cries, soon muffled)  
10 DR. DAMIANI: We’ll be increasing to 100 volts today.  
11 (Loud electric buzz. A few seconds of silence, and then violent rattling.)  
12 DR. DAMIANI: The nurses are once again restraining him. W-wait.  
13 (A crack is heard)  
14 DR. DAMIANI: It appears we have a slight problem. The device appears to be breaking.  
15 (Loud crack, followed by Sergio’s scream)  
16 SERGIO: I CAN SEE THEM! I SEE THE PEOPLE WHO DIED ON THIS TABLE! IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO KNOW HOW THEY FEEL. IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO WEAR THE MASK!  
17 (Hyperventilating is heard, followed by shouts from various nurses as a machine beeps rapidly in the background)  
18 DR. DAMIANI: Facial device has broken. Patient has fallen into a seizure, but not before making some remarks. Eyes have rolled into the back of his head, and he appears to be having an intense convulsion. His heart rate has skyrocketed and a nurse is preparing a sedative to calm him now. It appears that he’s saying something. Despite my common sense telling me otherwise, I am compelled to know what he is saying. Nurse! Let him speak!  
19 SERGIO: L-et's s-ee-ho-w you lo-o-kk...with—you-r -faces—under--the m-mask-k.  
20 DR. DAMIANI: WHAT?!  
21 SERGIO: I’LL PLACE YOU ON THE WALLS FOR EVERYONE TO SEE!  
22 DR. DAMIANI: It appears that the boy possesses something unreal. His body…it’s glowing 21 a gold color. I…I don’t know what to do anymore…my God…  
23 (Screams are heard)  
24 DR. DAMIANI: T-the nurses are- they’ve dropped dead around him!  
25 (Loud rumbling is heard, recording becomes heavy with static)  
26 DR. DAMIANI: WHAT----HEL--NOT IN---CENTER--DARK ---NO!!  
27 SERGIO: SEKI---KI MEI-- HA!  
28 (Loud screams, followed by complete static)  
29 (In running the recording for a few minutes more, the faint sound of a woman crying can be heard.)

[END OF RECORDING]

 

 

 

1Italian word for Grandmother - http://grandparents.about.com/od/Grandmother-Names/g/Italian-Name-For-Grandmother.htm

2An antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia among other mental illnesses. Its discovery in 1951 led to a revolution in the treatment of the mentally ill, and is considered the first antipsychotic drug - <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorpromazine> . 200Mg is a typical dose given to an adult.

3Italian swear for “dirty prostitute” - <http://www.italylogue.com/about-italy/italian-swear-words-pt-2-readers-choice.html>

4 During Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), a patient is strapped with electrodes on the head to send a current through the brain, and is given a mouthpiece to bite down on, so that they don’t bite their tongue during the seizure that the electric currents induce. Damiani’s face covering has these components built in – <http://bit.ly/1FgT88X>. By the early seventies this form of therapy among others was on the way out and is very rarely used in modern medicine due to the nature of the therapy and its side effects.

 


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 26/06/1975
> 
> Great Pope Arles,
> 
> If you have come this far into my report, then I thank you highly for your attention. Below you will find, as mentioned, the written documents I found on the new Cancer candidate. Please review them and upon completion, look over my final thoughts on the risk this boy poses if he should gain the power of the Cancer cloth.
> 
> -Ophiuchus Mauro

[Document: Signora Imperlini's Personal Letter To Lucrezia DeRosa]

01/07/1971

Lucrezia,

I'm so sorry that this letter, amongst the many that we have had over the years, needs to start on such a sad note. I know how much you loved Luis, and I can't believe he's been taken away so suddenly from you like this. When my husband told me what happened, I couldn't believe it! Tell me if the police have found anything since the autopsy, which I'm sure will have already begun by the time you get this letter.  
  
I apologize for not being able to talk, but I had an urgent issue with Sergio arise that needed to be taken care of. Xavier's return to the plantation has been nothing but issues, and I hate that he has to return from his business trip just to be the bearer of bad news.  
  
Write back to me soon, and I should be able to pick up next time you call.  
  
Your friend,  
Maria Imperlini

-

  
  


[Document: Lucrezia DeRosa's Response Letter To Maria Imperlini]

15/07/1971

Maria,

It's always good to hear from friends at a time like this. I still can't believe he's gone. It was all so sudden as well! He and I were eating dinner as usual, and out of nowhere he just collapsed! The autopsy reported that it was an overdose of his medicine. It was just too much for him apparently. I don't know how he managed to overdo his dosage. It must have just been an error on his part. Of course he was getting on in years as you know, so it was only natural that he had to pass at some point.  
  
He had appointed me on his will to be heir to his estate and the rest of his fortune; part of it went to his first wife and daughter in Venice, and I feel so moved that he considered me in his dying wishes.  
  
I'm still just so shaken with grief, it's hard not to break down sobbing-I apologize if there are tear stains on the paper when this reaches you. Consider it just an example of the deep, painful suffering I am enduring now without my darling Luis.  
  
I pray he continues to watch over me in heaven as I try to carry on without him. I'll write again soon when I'm able to collect myself a little more.  
  
Yours Truly,  
Lucrezia DeRosa

-

  
  


[Document: Maria Imperlini's Response Letter To Lucrezia DeRosa]

29/07/1971

Lucrezia,

I know you're still suffering and I can't imagine you'll be cured of your grief soon. I wanted to offer you an invitation to our plantation in Leonforte, if you feel it will help you. The fresh air here always clears Xavier's mind when he returns from Milan, and I'm sure it will do the same for you.  
  
I will have to apologize for my son's behavior in advance. I mentioned last time that I had some issues with Sergio, but they seem to have only gotten worse. You may recall, he turned 10 not too long ago. He is a sweet boy, he really is, but lately he's been saying some things that have, to be quite frank, disturbed me.  
  
He says he can see my mother.  
  
You know she died before he was born, and I told him many stories about his Nonna since he was quite young. Where in the estate she slept, how she would show the cooks how to prepare the pasta to _correct_ al dente, and be right out with the cooks preparing the chickens and pigs for dinner. How she'd sing at night in her chair to help me sleep when I was his age.  
  
Several months ago he told me he could speak to his Nonna. I figured it was just child's play, until one night he was sitting in her rocking chair and singing in perfect tune:  
  
_Mi votu e mi rivotu suspirannu,  
passu li notti 'nteri senza sonnu... 1_ _  
  
_ His rhythm, his intonations, it was exactly how she used to do it. On top of that, he began to run through the kitchen and talk to the cooks, instructing them on the cooking, almost exactly how she used to do it. While this wouldn't alarm me normally, as I've described to him how she would speak to them, the cooks all said he would constantly turn to the corner of the room, as if for confirmation.  
  
It finally came to a head when, the night you called, my little Sergio came to me and said Nonna was sad, that "She misses you." according to him. It struck a chord with me and I told him enough was enough! He had begun to carry on with her as if she was there-in the room-talking to him! I just can't believe it, and it's made me very uneasy and concerned for my boy!!  
  
So I suppose I will have to apologize for both him- and me-if we are not our usual selves.  
  
Please write soon and let me know if you'll be able to come. It would be a great relief for us both.  
  
Your friend,  
Maria Imperlini

-

  
  


[Document: Lucrezia DeRosa's Personal Letter To Maria Imperlini]

13/08/1971

Maria,

I'd be more than happy to come and see you, and I look forward to the chance to leave the city and spend time out in the country. I'm sure your son is just playing some sort of game with you, probably thinking that perhaps it'd make you happy to pretend like she never left. And I recall that he really is a sweet boy; a little troublesome with your maids and with the animals, but he's an only child after all; he has to get that energy out with someone.  
  
I expect to be there on 16/08, so I look forward to seeing you soon.  
  
Your friend,  
Lucrezia DeRosa

-

  
  


[Document: Lucrezia's Personal Diary]

1 8/08/1971

It's only two days into my visit, and I already understand my dear friend's troubles with her son. When I came yesterday I could already tell Maria was harried from caring for Sergio. We sat outside to catch up, and from her last letter it seems things have only gotten worse.  
  
Sergio absolutely insists now that his Nonna is present. He even went so far as to tell me to move aside so she could pass through, as she was going to go upstairs. Apparently only at her request did he even assist with pulling my chair at dinner time.  
  
There's a stool now in the corner of the dining hall, which according to him, is where she sits. The one positive to this change is that apparently Nonna has been teaching him some semblance of manners that Maria never could. He doesn't slurp his soup, and eats everything on his plate with little protest.  
  
I tried to humor him a little, thinking it might help. I started by asking if Nonna had finished her meal.  
  
Only after finishing his bite of veal did he answer. According to him, Nonna doesn't eat. Apparently, nobody does once they die.  
  
A bit of a shiver went down my spine at his response. It was so nonchalant, as if it were commonplace knowledge. Inquiring further, I asked if Nonna was indeed dead.  
  
He said she was, that she died before he was born. He said she wanted to know if she had a grandchild, so she came back to meet him.  
  
For a child's game, it seemed rather sweet! I wanted to know more about this Nonna, and asked him what she thought of him.  
  
After putting down his fork, he looked to me and said that her main complaint was that he didn't take enough baths. But other than that, she was pleased with how Maria was raising him.  
  
Maria only laughed nervously at this whole conversation, quickly eating her food and shrinking to avoid getting involved. She crossed herself at least twice from what I could tell out of the corner of my eye.  
  
I laughed, I couldn't help it! Even for a game this boy had such clever things to say! I told him that since Maria was doing a good job, that Nonna must be very pleased when she comes down from heaven.  
  
It was then that I began to believe that there was something wrong with this child. He told me that according to his Nonna, heaven doesn't exist.  
  
At this, Maria seemed to have had enough. She rose immediately and pointed to the hall, telling him to go to his room. The boy simply nodded and complied. He wasn't able to finish his dinner.  
  
This is certainly not my dear college friend, and the circumstances here are clearly abnormal.

-

 

 

[Document: Lucrezia's Personal Diary]

19/08/1971

I'm now more than convinced something is wrong with this child. At dinner tonight Sergio kept seeming to look over at me. At one point he put his fork down and looked over to the corner opposite of where "Nonna" sits.  
  
I asked if everything was okay, but he didn't answer.  
  
At least not immediately. He nodded to the corner before looking back at me.  
  
He asked me, and I quote, why I “did it”.  
  
I asked him for more detail, since I had no idea what he was talking about.  
  
He then gave more information. He asked me why I gave “him” the wrong medicine.  
  
I thought about what he could possibly mean. The only person that came to mind was Luis. I asked him again for more information.  
  
He pointed to the corner where he was staring earlier. All I could see were the curtains billowing from the nighttime breeze. According to him, my dear Luis was standing there and accusing me of killing him!  
  
I had no idea what he was talking about, and made that expressively clear. How dare he imply I had something to do with Luis' death?! It was a horrible implication, and I couldn't help but grow faint!  
  
Maria quickly apologized, having no idea how he could have made such a bold statement. He never told him about what happened to Luis. But then he interrupted her, insisting that it was Luis himself who told him what happened!  
  
Rightfully so, Maria gave him a firm swat across the rump and sent him to bed. It's clear there's something wrong with the child, and I think I have a solution. My cousin knows the head doctor of a hospital in Palermo there they treat issues like this. I'll contact him when I return home to see if they can help this clearly confused youth. For Maria's sake, I'll see if we can get Sergio some help.

-

  
  


[Document: Acceptance letter Into Palermo Institute For The Mentally Disturbed

06/09/1971  
  


Grazie per averci contattato2 Maria,

Thank you for providing documentation of the events that have led to the choice to bring your son to us. We have decided, upon recommendation by our doctors, to accept your son into our institution. We will take him in the next week, so please have his belongings packed by then. Your correspondences with Lucrezia and her personal entries have been added to Sergio's file.  
  
I know that this is a difficult decision for you, but I assure you that your son will be in the best of hands. We are the top institution in Sicily, with a high success rate for our treatments. He will receive the best quality of care that can be afforded, and I will personally monitor his progress. Rest assured that when we are done, you will have a happy and stable young man as a son.  
  
Sincerely,  
Dr. Salvatore Damiani, Ph.D  
Palermo Institute for the Mentally Disturbed

-

  
  


[Document: Patient Log]

08/09/1971

Patient #722

Log #1

We have brought Sergio into the facility, having had to sedate him at his home and for the duration of the trip to Palermo. Watching him from his room, it’s clear that this is a common case of schizophrenia. The boy comes from a wealthy home, and these bouts of stubbornness and mental instability are common in such affluent environments.  
  
The nature of his schizophrenia appears to be in visions of his deceased grandmother. He insists that he sees her, and that she is following him from the afterlife. It appears to only have begun recently, so we may be able to quickly turn this patient around.  
  
Tomorrow will be the first official Mental Status Examination3. It will give us a good starting point to assess the state of the patient.

-Dr. Damiani

-

[Document: Mental Status Examination For Sergio Imperlini]

PALERMO INSTITUTE FOR THE MENTALLY DISTURBED

MENTAL STATUS EXMAMINATION– Patient #722

09/09/1971

Name: Sergio Imperlini

Birthdate: June 24th, 1961

Age upon admission: 10  
  


APPEARANCE

Height: 137 cm

Weight: 31 kg

Hair: Black, unkempt. Will be sheared tomorrow.

Eyes: Brown.

Wardrobe upon admission: Expensive clothing. Patient refuses to remove them, as per mother, he was requested to keep them on. Will be sedated so he can be changed into the standard hospital attire.  
  


ATTITUDE

Reluctant, very resistant to questions. Wants to go home badly.  
  


BEHAVIOR

Makes eye contact when spoken to. Often looks over his left shoulder to speak to his “Nonna”. Addresses "her" with respect.

 

MOOD AND AFFECT

Mood: Angry, frightened.

Affect: No signs of reduced affect4 shown. Expressing emotions with intensity.  
  


SPEECH

Clear, expressive. Appears to soften and be more considerate with words when speaking to “Nonna”.

 

THOUGHT PROCESS

Words and thoughts organized, no disjoint phrases or statements.  
  


THOUGHT CONTENT

Appears to have regular conversations with the delusion of "Nonna". Feels a little more comfortable doing this in the facility, he states, since his mother would not permit him to talk to "her" at home.

 

PERCEPTIONS

Carries on as if deceased "Nonna" is present in the room. He tells the nurse that she wants me to know his favorite foods, to give him two pillows for sleeping and to ensure the bars on the window in his room are removed as they’re “too unsightly.”*

*It’s difficult to determine how much of this information is supposedly from "Nonna" and whether or not the child is simply stating demands.

 

COGNITION

Unable to evaluate. Patient refuses to do memory and cognition exercises. It is my assumption that they may not be necessary based on his ability to maintain conversations.

 

INSIGHT

Patient is in complete denial that he has a mental issue, and insists others are “blind” for not seeing "Nonna".

 

JUDGMENT

Unable to evaluate. When presented with judgment questions, patient refuses to answer, or states what would be "Nonna’s" answers.

 

DIAGNOSIS

Patient appears to have schizophrenia, concentrated to only seeing one sentimental

individual.  
  


TREATMENT

Medications for 3 weeks to assess progress. Small doses of chlorpromazine to begin- 100mg.

-

[Document: Patient Log]  
  


Patient #722

Log #2

16/09/1971

Patient still reacting with resistance to treatments and approaches by staff. Appears to be cohabiting well with roommate, patient #710.  
Patient still has visions of "Nonna". Will attempt interview exercises to have patient better describe his experiences. These appear to be new procedures proposed by newer doctors in the field. While I am unsure of their effect on treatment, they will be attempted starting tomorrow.

-Dr. Damiani

-

 

 

[Document: Patient Log]

23/09/1971

Patient #722

Log #3

Patient is acting complacent for now, but still insists that "Nonna" is in the room. In an attempt to understand the conversations he's having with this grandmother, I will begin the daily audio recordings of the patient in their quarters. It is with this hope that I can better understand how to approach him for future treatment.  
  
  


-Dr. Damiani

-

 

 

[Document: Copy of Palermo Police Report]

09/10/1971 

PALERMO POLICE REPORT5

Officer Edoardo Bianchi

On 09/10/1971 at 17:30 I was notified by a Sra. Maria Imperlini when she arrived at our precinct, that she had concerns regarding the conditions of the local Mental Hospital where her son is currently residing. She expressed the following regarding the state of the hospital:

  * Low hygiene- The establishment lets out a foul odor and patients are apparently permitted to wander the place nude.

  * Malnutrition- The appearance of her son indicates that he might be inadequately fed.

  * Abusive staff- Believes staff may be harming her son and threatened her should she attempt to withdraw him.6




Sra. Imperlini states she was escorted out of the facility after her tour and receiving threats. She came here immediately following her visit. She has requested that we view the state of the hospital for ourselves to assist in closing it and retrieving her son.  
  
I requested a dispatch of our medical investigators on 22/10, as dispatches to hospital locations are outside of my jurisdiction.

-

  
  


[Document: Newspaper Clipping]

20/10/1971

GIRONALE DI SICILIA

EDITORIALE

The Insanity of Palermo's Institution

I write to you in the hopes of getting the message out there regarding the horror that takes place in what is supposedly one of Sicily's greatest mental hospitals.  
  
My son was admitted there for troubles regarding his overactive imagination. I decided to visit him, to see how he was progressing, only to find him gaunt and frail. He wasn't allowed to tell me when they fed him, much less cleaned him. The smell was horrible. What are they doing to my child, let alone those unfortunate enough to not have families as caring as ours?  
  
They allow patients to run around naked, modesty and humility are nowhere in sight. My poor son is being traumatized, not by the nudity, but by the conditions that allow humans to revert to their feral roots. Not only that, but I have also seen a number of bruises on many of the patients. Either they are allowed to harm each other, or the brutish orderlies are getting sick pleasure from abusing the ill.  
  
When I voiced my concerns about these things to the head doctor, I was patronized, quickly shut down, and asked about my own mental state. I couldn't help but feel that this might have been a threat. When I tried to take him home, I was escorted out by security.  
  
The lawyers my husband and I have talked to said that this is the right of the facility to keep a patient who may be harmful to themselves or others. He is ten! What can he possibly do if he's just playing?! We were advised to go to the police, but it seems as if the villains have the law on their side.  
  
I am writing to demand justice for my boy. We must take action against this horrible institution!  
  
Sincerely,  
A Mother's Love

-

  
  


[Document: Copy Of Palermo Police Report]

22/10/1971

PALERMO POLICE DEPT. REPORT

Follow-up to Officer Bianchi's report on 19/10/1971

Detective Lt. Rodolfo Di Pietro

I was dispatched on 22/10 at 10:30 to the Palermo Institute for the Mentally Disturbed to investigate a complaint made by Officer Bianchi regarding the state of the hospital. The complaints made in that report are accurate:

  * A foul odor was emitted by the patients, and I did note several without clothing.

  * Many patients appeared to be emaciated, asking for food as I passed through.

  * Staff refused to answer any questions regarding their practices.




When questioning the head doctor by the name of Salvatore Damiani, I received vague and indirect answers. This leads me to believe the complaints submitted by Bianchi, and further investigations are needed.  
  
I requested a search warrant and compliance investigation immediately upon return at 14:02.

-

  
  


[Document: Salvatore Damiani's Personal Diary]

22/10/1971

The inspectors came again today. Apparently we're still not up to the new codes, and the next time around they're going to shut us down if we don't comply. While they were previously lax on when we had to make these changes, they're now rushing us. All this to save face after an editorial written by a woman who knows NOTHING of the human mind.  
  
This great institute has been open for years, decades even. But now, some radical thinkers just out of college believe that we should change. That we've been dealing with these illnesses all wrong. Because of this, I am expected to completely throw my education out the window and comply.7  
  
A child came in a few weeks ago, with textbook schizophrenia. However, instead of resorting to the methods I'm normally accustomed to, I'm obligated to having him fill out stupid surveys to understand his sources of fear and how to make him feel "more comfortable during this obviously traumatic illness." I've never heard such ridiculous drivel in my life, but at this point I have no choice. Between his mother's obvious slander and ignorance and these new methods, I feel as if I may be the one losing my mind. But...let's see where it takes us.  
-

  
  


[Document: Patient Log]

11/11/1971

Patient #722

Log #10

Patient appears to have grown more rebellious during his stay here. His language has become more colorful, seeming to have picked up habits from the nurses and other patients. He still insists that "Nonna" is present, typically next to him. When asked about his interactions with “her”, he states that “she” asks them to let him go home. Many of his requests involve things that "Nonna" would want, such as a chair or to stop giving him medicine. He recounts to the nurses-in his better moods- things about "her" requests. “She” advocates for Sergio to be fed more than our diligent schedule dictates, however this is likely a complaint from the patient himself.

I will attempt to interview the patient to have him understand why he was admitted to this hospital. Perhaps this will help the patient with his visions and rebellious attitude. We will also be increasing his dosages since this "Nonna" has apparently grown more aggressive as time has gone on.  
-Dr. Damiani

-

  
  


[Document: Patient Log]

16/12/1971

Patient #722

Log #11

Patient appears to be in a more pleasant mood, not protesting with nurses as much anymore. I will request that we try a different interviewing exercise, in which the patient recounts his day to us in an attempt to better understand his ailment. This may be more effective than the current format in which we attempt to only focus on eliminating his delusions.  
  
We will inform the patient that he can discuss whatever he likes. We will review what he states in the sessions and move forward with treatment accordingly. The weekly interview sessions will begin on 23/12.

-Dr. Damiani

-

  
  


[Document: Patient Log]

16/12/1971

Patient # 722

Log # 15

Patient has been amicable over the last few weeks. Per the nurses, patient has confirmed the return of “Nonna”. Previous complaints of noises that his roommate (Patient #710) makes, as well as constant demands for food have decreased. Will observe patient to determine if this new behavior is permanent.

-Dr. Damiani

-

  
  


[Document: Patient Log]

23/12/1971

Patient #722

Log #16

Per reports from the nurses, patient has been practicing a rather unusual series of words. The nurses say they sound almost Asian. This doesn't make much sense, as the patient has never had exposure to Asian cultures. Again, he claims “Nonna” is teaching it to him. Despite his calmer nature patient has begun to damage the walls in his room by carving these new words, again, per “Nonna's” instruction. Will interview patient to better understand this new habit and explain that there will be disciplinary action if destructive behavior continues.

-Dr. Damiani

-

  
  


[Document: Newspaper Clipping]

06/01/1972

GIRONALE DI SICILIA

MYSTERIOUS DEATH AT THE PALERMO INSTITUTE

Yesterday at approximately 15:00 it was reported that a staff member from the Palermo Institute of the Mentally Disturbed has been killed. The body has been identified as belonging to Sra. Abillati, RN. At this time doctors at the Institute have not answered any questions from reporters.  
  
Autopsy reports at this time have been deemed inconclusive; no signs of vital organ failure, injury, or drug influences are evident in the nurse. Per the medical examiner, "Her life seems to have just left her." Investigations will continue into the Institute, which is already facing risk of closure due to new regulations for the treatment of the mentally ill and the Institute's failure to comply.  
  
Dr. Salvatore Damiani, the head doctor of the Institution, is also facing higher levels of punishment for his treatment of patients, primarily on the grounds of malpractice and malnutrition.  
  
We will provide more information regarding the investigation and the death as this story develops.

-

  
  


[Document: Salvatore Damiani's Personal Diary]

08/01/1972

The papers have been relentless over the last few weeks. With the death of Nurse Abillati, I'm now receiving more notices than ever regarding closure of the institute. I've built my entire career here, and I refuse to let it go to waste now.  
  
But first, I need to understand what happened to the nurse. Hopefully the next interview with this brat will have some sort of explanation for what's going on.  
  
The staff has been diligent with turning his mother away at this crucial period in his treatment. I may have to leverage my associates to remedy this particular issue.

-

  
  


[Document: Patient Log]

13/01/1972

Patient #722

Log #18

Upon daily feeding of the patient last week, it appears that the nurse assigned to him was killed. Reasons for how this event occurred are unknown. The patient's roommate (Patient #710) also found dead. Cause of death is also unknown.  
  
Will interview the patient to see if he is still aware or potentially involved in what happened.  
  
-Dr. Damiani

-

  
  


[Document: Personal Letter To Salvatore Damiani From Luigi Leggia]

[Date Unknown]

Salvatore,  
  
Greetings from all of us, and we hope this letter finds you well. I'm pleased to inform you we've taken care of the situation you spoke to us about during our last visit.  
  
The grigliata all'aperto8 you invite our family to are always lovely and fulfilling, as community is what always will hold us together. The Merlot we've sent has been aged over twenty years, and should taste most enjoyable.  
  
Please let us know if there's any other way we can help you.  
  
-Luigi Leggia

-

 

 

[Document: Newspaper Clipping]

14/01/1972

GIRONALE DI SICILIA

  
FAMILY ON LEONFORTE GRAPE VINEYARD LEFT TONGUE-TIED, MOTHER SPOKE AGAINST PALERMO INSTITUTE

The Imperlini family was greeted yesterday afternoon to an unorthodox package from an unknown sender. Based on servant witnesses within the home, the package contained Sra. Maria Imperlini's “A concerned Mother” editorial released on 20/10 of last year along with a human tongue.  
  
Sra. Imperlini fainted from shock immediately upon sight of the tongue, and is being treated for shock and emotional trauma. Per Sr. Xavier Imperlini, the event has left them “Shocked and devastated.”  
  
It is unknown who sent the package and what their motives were, but investigators state that they are not excluding the possibility of the Cosa Nostra's9 involvement.

Sr. Imperlini has stated that once Sra. Imperlini recovers, they plan to leave Sicily. When asked about their son who remains in the Palermo Institute for the Mentally Disturbed, he stated “That's out of our control. We just have to hope one day that he'll return to us happy and healthy.”  
  
We will provide more updates as this story develops.

-

  
  


[Document: Salvatore Damiani's Personal Diary]

15/01/1972

I know what I saw. I cannot explain it, but I have seen something that was remarkable. It makes me question whether the treatments we have been giving this boy are going in the wrong direction. If what I saw is any indication, I think I have found a way to save the institution.

Without touching the table or being nearby, the boy launched the recording equipment and sent it to the floor. Even with his considerable strength for a boy of ten, he would have had trouble lifting the equipment. Upon further inspection of the previous interviews, a voice can indeed be heard, though not made out.

  
I have little evidence to physically prove that this is or is not a trick, but if I can record these occurrences, if I can bring out the boy's supposed power, then a study can be made and the grant can be written to save this place, my home, my career. There is a way.

I just have to find it.

-

  
  


[Document: Patient Log]

20/01/1972

Patient #722

Log #19

Upon evaluation of Patient's most recent entry, it appears that their delusions have not only become more surreal and intense, but have made him homicidal. Will be sent to the solitary ward and put under 24-hour surveillance by the Institute's best guards.

  
  


-Dr. Damiani

-

  
  


[Document: Salvatore Damiani's Personal Diary]

09/02/1972

I have proof! Surefire proof that there's something supernatural with this child. Another staff member has died. Sad, but it's in the name of scientific progress. I'll name a wing after him in memory of his contribution to this great study. Phenomenal.  
  
If only there was a way I could do more. Stress is what makes the boy activate his powers. Anger, frustration. He is constantly talking to his grandmother now. Maybe he is being overwhelmed as they grow. Are they stronger every time he uses them? It's yet to be seen or proven. I'd rather not be in the room the next time he does, but I will be waiting for the results.  
  
Perhaps I can make this possible. I can't have my staff on record continually dying. The papers are already trying to slaughter the good name of this institution. The machines are simple enough to use without knowing the effects.  
  
I dare not write more. The idea is absurd. Insane.  
  
Electroshock treatment does help those who need to calm their minds...perhaps it would be a boon for him too. It may help him focus and use his latent ability in a more controlled manner. It may be uncomfortable, but we must do what we can in the name of science. Personal comfort be damned.  
  
This may be an opportunity to use the prototypes I had created before the push for chlorpromazine...

-

  
  


[Document: Salvatore Damiani's Personal Diary]

10/02/1972

THAT BASTARD! The child needs to be controlled, AT ALL COSTS. I spent damned hours stitching after that monster dug his teeth into the meat of my palm. It's debatable whether I may even get through this entry.  
  
I’ve already recruited some new staff with few connections to the outside world…they won’t be missed if there’s another accident. Whether we can help this child control this power or we proceed to eliminate it from his mind, the therapy must begin at once.  
  
My prototype should work on him. The facial covering, which has a built-in mouthpiece for the patient to bite and the electrical wiring integrated into the plastic, will help make the procedure far more efficient.  
  
We shall begin the therapy tomorrow. I'll be viewing the procedure from a few rooms away on video, while instructing the staff over the intercom.  
  
I go to bed tonight eager to begin tomorrow. I am unsure if I’ll even be able to sleep.

-

  
  


[Document: Patient Log]

09/03/1972

Patient #722

Log #25

  
Patient showing signs of recovery. Due to potential new side effects of chlorpromazine, patient has begun to suffer memory loss10. Can no longer recall parents and family, however insists that “Nonna” is still present.  
  
Will continue to monitor patient’s progress as treatment continues as projected.  
  
-Dr. Damiani

-

  
  


[Document: Salvatore Damiani's Personal Diary]

09/03/1972

Fifty. That’s all of the patients we have left. From two-hundred.  
  
This child is the only hope I have now to save my life’s work. If I can’t procure a miracle within the next week, the remaining patients will be sent home; including him.  
  
A menace like this can’t be sent out into the world. There was no way I could control or help him; he was a DEMON from the moment he stepped foot into my facility! I have no choice now but to continue with the treatment; throw myself into it with all I can in the hopes of finding some sort of scrap of reward, and soon.  
  
We have conducted several sessions already, and as expected the child is beginning to lose his memory. It doesn’t matter now anyway, as long as we can get his powers under control-or perhaps better yet at this point, make him forget them altogether.  
  
He has also given my creation a deplorable name, one so insulting I refuse to repeat it on paper.  
  
However, what he feels is irrelevant at this point. We must continue, at all costs!!!

-

  
  


[Document: Newspaper Clipping]

GIRONALE DI SICILIA

TRAGEDY AT THE PALERMO INSTITUTE OF THE MENTALLY DISTURBED

16/03/1972

The esteemed Palermo Institute for the Mentally Disturbed completely collapsed last night around 00:13. Police are unsure of how the incident occurred and have found no survivors.  
  
Officers arrived on the scene and have stated that its current condition is classified and not fit for public release. They will not provide any further details past that.  
  
This incident comes following the death of Sra. Abillati, RN., which we previously reported on, and questioning compliance violations upheld by the head Doctor, Salvatore Damiani.  
  
Our sources state a paranormal expert has been brought to the scene to investigate further.  
  
As this story develops, we will provide more information.

-

  
  


[END OF DOCUMENTATION]

As can be seen from the above materials Great Arles, it is clear that this child, while powerful with great potential to serve Athena, has undergone far too much trauma to do so with clear judgment. It is in youth that we make our strongest convictions and life philosophies, and the state of mind this child has could only lead to disaster.  
  
I not only bring you this information for the sake of this child alone. For while his story is rather extreme, I implore you to consider the similar pattern that is showing; each year the recruits seem to only get younger and younger. You are recruiting children to fight for a cause they can barely grasp. When grown men do not come out of battles without their scars, do you expect youths to endure holy wars in one piece?  
  
While I do not mean to offend your grace (none should ever question the infinite wisdom of Athena's messenger) I implore you, _beg you,_ to consider at least some form of treatment for your Saints. While battles between men amongst each other are gruesome, they cannot possibly compare to the terror of facing the paranormal or Gods. Which is what you are asking this future generation to do.  
  
I understand why he has been nominated for the Cancer Cloth. His skills clearly mark that he could be next in line for it. And while these correspondences and records depict a boy twisted by those around him, I am sure deep down there is still a good soul- a lost child who only wants people to believe him.  
  
After he is out of my tutelage, I ask that you provide these records to him. He has the right to know who he was, and tell him that his past does not define him. For whatever horrors he endured in that institute, Athena's will is to ensure humanity does not endure the same torment by the more divine powers-that-be. Deep down, there is a good soul that just needs to be nurtured. That just needs a reason to believe in the good of humanity again.  
  
And within Sergio, I know there is the potential for an amazing saint of Athena.  
  
I await your response to this package and your final decision.  
  
Faithful Soldier to Athena,  
-Ophiuchus Mauro

  
  


1Lyrics from the Sicilian folk song - Mi votu e mi rivotu. The lyrics sung here roughly translate to “I turn and turn again sighing, I spend whole nights without sleeping”- <http://www.italyworldclub.com/italian-songs/regional/sicilia/mi-votu.htm>

2“Thank you for contacting us” in Italian - <https://translate.google.com/#en/it/Thank%20you%20for%20contacting%20us>

3Mental Status Examinations (MSE) are examinations of the patient's current status. They are usually done in several iterations during a patient's stay in a mental hospital to quantify their mental status: <http://www.brown.edu/Courses/BI_278/Other/Clerkship/Didactics/Readings/THE%20MENTAL%20STATUS%20EXAMINATION.pdf>

4A reduced affect is generally considered to be a lack of emotional expression, varying in degrees - <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduced_affect_display>

5Reference for Police Report examples: <http://yourpolicewrite.com/four-types-police-reports/sample-report/>

6Mental Institutions were notoriously known for their poor hygeine and abusive treatment of their residents: <http://cnnphotos.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/10/italys-hidden-madness-exposed/>

7In the 1970s, Italy began a large revolution to change the way mentally ill patients were treated- this involved ceasing the use of archaic and ineffective methods of psychiatric treatment, reducing isolation of the mentally ill from the rest of society and the closing down of state mental institutions. This was later pushed into law by the Basaglia Law in 1978. This revolution was led by several doctors at the beginning of their careers, before the systems of current patient care were able to influence them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychiatric_reform_in_Italy

8Grill cookout/barbecue get-together in Italian :[https://www.google.com/search?q=grigliata+all%27aperto&oq=grigliata+all%27aperto&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.455j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#safe=active&q=grigliata+all%27aperto+translation](https://www.google.com/search?q=grigliata+all%27aperto&oq=grigliata+all%27aperto&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.455j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#safe=active&q=grigliata+all%27aperto+translation)

9Cosa Nostra is the name of the Sicilian Mafia, a crime synicate that originated in Sicily and as of now has spread to the United States, Canada and other countries -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilian_Mafia

10 Memory loss can occur from ECT - <http://www.depressionforums.org/forums/topic/99749-electroconvulsive-therapy-and-memory-loss/>

 


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following correspondence letters were not part of the original report. They were recovered following the 1986 Sanctuary Incident, in which five Bronze Saints overthrew the rule of the former Pope Arles. It was only after confirmation of the Cancer Saint's death that the Triangulum Saint Lazaro and former Ophiuchus Saint Mauro consented to providing them to the Great Goddess for recordkeeping. They have been added to this report as an addendum.

17/03/1972

My dear friend Lazaro,

It’s truly terrifying what one sees as a Saint. I sensed an immense cosmos a few days ago near our training grounds in Palermo. I was soon summoned by the police department in the city proper to investigate an accident at a mental institution. Once I arrived…well, let’s just say I’m still trying to comprehend what was real and what was hallucination.  
  
The furniture in the institute was out of place, everything in the halls and in the rooms looking as if it was being sucked in one direction. I followed the path uneasily, feeling a complete sense of dread sweep over me as I approached a narrow hall. I saw countless patients of the institute on the ground- men, women and children. They all appeared curled up, and from afar it was difficult to determine if any of them were alive. It wasn’t until I turned a person in what appeared to be a nurse’s outfit over that I understood why the police would summon me here.

The woman had no face.

I jumped back in horror, giving out a cry of shock. Confirming if this was the issue with all of the victims, I turned over several more bodies. Indeed, all of their faces were gone.  
It was then that I heard a sick laugh coming from the room that all the furniture seemed to be drawn to. Sensing that this was the source of the ignited cosmos, I approached the room with great unease, uncertain of what I would find. I soon learned that my concerns were far from unfounded.

Plaster faces were lined across the walls. In all likelihood, however it was managed to be done, they were probably the faces of the people that I saw on the ground. All of them looked like they had suffered, like they were screaming in agony. In the middle of the room I saw what I could only assume was the cause of all this.

There in the center sat a child, tied in a straightjacket. My friend, when he looked at me I saw the face of a person gone wild with madness. Despite being so young, his hair was ghost white, and his eyes were the ice blue of a corpse. It was then that he grinned.

He introduced himself to me as Deathmask. He looked around the room at the faces on the walls with a twisted sense of pride. He then asked me to unite him from the jacket or he’d put my face on the walls, too.

  
Promising he’d do no harm to me if I just let him out, I proceeded cautiously to undo the jacket. I asked him where he was from, but he said all he knew was that he was from the hospital. Everything else was a blur. When asking how long he had been here, his only response was “long enough.”

Asking him if he was the one that destroyed the institute, he implied I was of low intelligence before confirming that it was, indeed, him that caused the accident here.

This child clearly couldn’t be left to his own devices. Almost out of necessity, I guess I had no choice but to take him in as a trainee.

But first I had to see if he would even be of sound enough mind to do so, if he could be changed to serve our goddess. I asked him if he wanted to use his strength for good.

He asked if that’s how I got the armor I was wearing, and I nodded. He seemed to take an interest in my cloth. After explaining to him that I had earned it, he had apparently decided that he would far rather take mine than go through effort to earn one. I sensed him trying to ignite his cosmos again and stopped undoing the jacket.

Fortunately, it seems he was still unable to control his power, so he didn’t do much but make himself woozy. He cursed himself as I backed away.

I threatened to leave if he didn’t cooperate. Eventually, the child surrendered and said he would come with me. Undoing the jacket, I carried him out, as he barely had enough energy to stand. Whatever had happened to him, I could see the full effects of it now. He was bruised on his arms and legs, and his light and bony frame indicated that he hadn’t had a decent meal in days, perhaps even weeks or months.

Before we left, he asked a favor of me. Turning to a corner, he asked me to tell the woman there to stop crying, that he had no idea who “Sergio” was. No woman, man, child or even object was in the corner that he pointed out to me. It may well be that he was speaking to a being long gone from this world, as some of my current pupils can do.

I hope things are good for you with your trainees; I myself have about a dozen, as I’ve mentioned to you. I think I now will have my hands full, should the Pope decide to keep this one around.

-Mauro

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[3 YEARS LATER]

01/04/1975

Mi Consorte Mauro,

It was wonderful to hear from you again, as always. As far as being Masters now goes, it’s important for us to exchange experiences to ensure that we are aware of the variety of trainees we come across and how to better help each other out with our unique challenges.

I have to admit that reading your accounts of your pupil Deathmask ever since you found him have sent shivers down my spine. I commend you on choosing to give him a chance. After all, it’s our job as Masters to steer those whose souls are lost and twisted into the right direction. It is in this effort and struggle that Athena’s Saints can be born to defend her and all of humanity.

I apologize for the long delay in getting back to you since your letter last month, as I myself have my hands full with my own trainees. I haven’t had the chance to write without falling asleep after the end of our daily regimes! Do tell me how things are going on your end, including with Deathmask. I hope to hear from you soon with good news on his progress.

-Lazaro

-

 

15/04/1975

My friend Lazaro,

I’m glad to have heard back from you, as contact from a friend is something I needed badly these days.  
  
Deathmask truly is powerful. More quickly than usual, he has surpassed his peers that have been training for almost six years. I find it difficult to explain. He has regained a healthier pallor and has grown physically from finally receiving nourishment, which he aggressively refuses to share with others. He even goes so far as threatening to fight anyone who asks if they can. He also hastily eats as if the food were about to disappear within a matter of minutes if not consumed.  
  
Whatever he went through before I met him has changed him deeply. Even I am unsure if I’m able to reach him. As an example, early on I explained to him his power (his cosmos) and how it connects us to all living things, even the universe itself. To this he only turned to me with a scoff.

“Why should the universe give us strength?” he asked of me. “The stars don’t care about our petty lives. They just sit there and twinkle every night, looking on.” Nothing I said to convince him otherwise seemed to sway him.

And yet, there are those fleeting moments where I have hope for him, even if it’s in a rather unorthodox manner. On another day, for example, some of the younger trainees found a weakened fox by the road, probably hit by a car or shot by a hunter. As the creature lay dying, the young ones turned to me for what to do. Before I could answer, Deathmask chose to act. He approached the creature and put it out of its misery. When some of the younger ones asked why he did that instead of trying to heal it, he simply shook his head, explaining that healing it didn’t guarantee that the creature wouldn’t suffer again. As he walked away, I commended him for releasing the spirit of the creature so it could find peace and its spirit could move on.  
  
He merely shrugged, saying he had never seen a creature’s spirit follow him.

As the days go on I am unsure of where I stand with this boy, but I will continue to train him. After all it is, as you mentioned, our duty to guide them.

Write to me soon, it's always good to hear back from a fellow Saint that trained with me.

-Mauro

-

 

01/05/1975

My friend Lazaro,

The time all Masters wait for has come, and while any other Master would be beaming with pride at their selected candidates, I can’t help but feel a twist in my stomach. My group has been selected to identify candidates for a Gold Cloth. In this instance, it appears that it will be the Cancer Cloth.

I lined up all those born under the sign, and the officials chose their candidates. Among them was, as I’m sure you can guess, Deathmask.

Not even the news of his nomination seems to sway his cold ideals. Last night I tried a final appeal to him. I asked him if he was excited at being chosen as a candidate.

He said he was, but he was confident he would have been chosen among his peers, referring to them by more derogatory terms (I’ve been unable to reduce his swearing since his time with me).

I told him that if he was to win the Trial ahead of him, that he would have to take on many responsibilities as a Gold Saint. He would have to battle in Athena’s name and perhaps die for her. All for the sake of humanity. Surely, he would understand that as a Saint, he would have to have some level of empathy towards those he would defend, some sort of purpose?

My pupil merely turned to me, the ice in his eyes making it dead clear that what he would say next was nothing short of his truth.

“Responsibilities and duties don’t matter,” he said, “as long as I can kill whoever imposes them on me.”

Before I could object, he snapped for me to stay silent as he explained further. He thought all of the good intentions one can have mean nothing if someone more powerful forces their hand. Power. Strength. Those were the only things that mattered in the end. And as of now, he only listened to me so he could learn how to get just that. He threatened that if he were to acquire the Gold Cloth, that would change.

I am unsettled by what this could mean. I feel that he is a dangerous rifle, and instead of breaking it apart I have only taught it how to load itself with bullets and fire. What have I done wrong? I only wish I knew of a way to understand what happened to him.

What should be the happiest day of my Sainthood is now the most nerve-wracking day of my life. I don't know what to do except hope for the best and hope you write back soon. Any ideas are welcome.

-Mauro

-

 

15/05/1975

Mi Consorte,

I hope you understand that what has happened to Deathmask's morals isn't your fault. You did your very best to try and help him. You have trained many other eligible candidates as you mentioned, and there's always the chance that they will win the Trial instead. You must trust the cloth itself as well. It would not foolishly choose someone that wouldn't align to the will of our Goddess.

While reading your letter, I couldn't help but think back to when you met him. I reread the letter you sent me back then, and you mentioned that you found him in an institution.

I have no idea if it's possible since it's been so long, but perhaps you can find something if you go back to look?

If you can make it there, let me know. I wish you the best of luck, and hope to hear from you soon with good news.

-Lazaro

-

 

 

18/06/1975

Lazaro,

As always, I can rely on you for your wise insight. I did decide to investigate the institution, and it's a combination of looking there and preparing my cadets for the Trial that has kept me from writing sooner.

About a month and a half ago, with permission from the police I went through the files that they had recovered on patients that were in the facility. Based on what Deathmask had told me when we met, one struck me as important. It was the file for a young boy named Sergio Imperlini. I read through the medical reports, but they seemed misleading. They said he was on the way to recovery from seeing visions of his grandmother. He was sent there by his mother upon the recommendation of a friend. Those correspondences were here within his file.

This makes sense with his request when I met him to tell a woman to be silent. In fact, this woman still seems to be with him. I often have seen him look over his shoulder, telling off someone there or even arguing with himself at night.

With this information seeming contradictory, I investigated further. I found a few audio recordings of interviews with a Dr. Damiani.

In one particular interview, the child said his grandmother was teaching him something. There weren't many recordings after that. I decided information must have been missing. I was determined to find out more.

Having been given permission to investigate the abandoned facility, I went in and began to look through the empty halls. Three years later and you could still feel the evil that once took place. Every now and then as the wind blew, I could swear I heard, ever so softly, the moans of the mad and cries of pain. The memories of those that passed here are written into the walls and the air of the place. It's hard to say if they'll ever find peace.

Continuing past the disturbing room of faces where I met him, I headed into the office of the deceased head doctor. He was the one that Sergio interviewed with, so there was a chance that there was more information on the boy that he withheld.

I rummaged through his desk and found little more than papers for other patients, and went to his bookshelf. Along the way I nearly tripped on a loose board. I looked down to the floor and noticed that it ever so slightly uneven. Kneeling down to investigate, I tore up the board and found several letters stuffed underneath and a small black book.

Flipping through the pages, I realized this was Dr. Damiani's personal journal- and the final few entries were all about Sergio. His supposed affliction was driving this doctor mad. Mad enough to do the unthinkable. It looked like he even spoke with the Mafia to aid in his efforts for subduing him and his family!

I searched further into the hiding space and found several audio tapes, only titled with “Sergio - #1” or “Sergio - #2”, with dates closer to when I found him. I felt particularly troubled at this point. This child was probably subjected to several banned practices in the world of psychology.

On my way out, I noticed there was also an audio recorder in a separate room, a few meters away from the “Face Room”. I took the tape that was within it. Being so close to that disturbing room, the police must have disregarded it.

Returning to the police office, I began to piece things together. It had become abundantly clear to me that Deathmask was, at some point, this boy Sergio. Reading the medical logs, interviews, newspaper clippings and Damiani's diary-I now have the full story of what happened to him. The horrors, the mental abuse, until at last, he could take no more. He had awakened his cosmos and suppressed his memories...Deathmask was born.

This child is in no way ready to take on the role of a Gold Saint! The influence others have had on him is far too great. Having been subjected to so much pain, with a Gold Cloth in his hands he's bound to cause destruction!

I compiled all of the information that I found and sent it to Pope Arles. I must be candid in that I have my doubts about what he'll respond with. I know he is supposedly the brother of the Great Shion, but I can already sense that he rules differently from his deceased sibling. I can only hope that he'll understand the weight of things, given the evidence I provide.

Pray to Athena that this is the case.

-Mauro

-

 

02/07/1975

Mauro,

I couldn't believe what I read in your last letter. As disturbing as it was to only get your recount of what happened, I can only imagine what it was for Deathmask himself to have lived it. It's no wonder he has the warped view that he does.

I must admit that I also have my doubts regarding this new Pope, how so suddenly he took his brother's place without any form of announcement that Shion was ill. While I am in no place to question it, wouldn't we have known if the Pope had a brother? It's strange. I just hope this letter doesn't get intercepted and questioned.

I await to hear the response you get.

-Lazaro

-

 

08/07/1975

Saint Ophiuchus Mauro,

I would like to first thank you for taking the time to send me such an elaborate history regarding one of the new Cancer candidates, the young man that now goes by Deathmask. I was intrigued to see that this child has such an elaborate history prior to your finding him. I did read your transcripts of the recordings, and reviewed the patient logs and other documents. While I would understand your concerns regarding your trainee's ability to discern good judgment and your doubts that he is of sound mind, I would say that these are not issues you should worry yourself with.

This child has great potential, and with your training I am sure that he has especially honed his skills to be a faithful servant to my demands, which of course, are the will of our Goddess. I have spoken to her directly about this and she has told me to carry these words to you. Should he be chosen as the new Gold Saint, I assure you that under my command he will be a tool to carry out the will of Athena.

I ask that you focus your efforts on preparing him and the other trainees for the Trial in a few weeks, which I will personally attend. I'm sure regardless of the victor, the new saint will not disappoint me.

Thus sayeth I, Speaker of Athena,

-Grand Pope Arles

-

 

 

22/07/1975

My friend,

He wrote back. I copied what he said word for word to this letter so you could read this ludicrous response yourself.

I have no words. Doesn't he realize this child needs help?! I should have seen it myself so many years ago, but I was just so taken aback by what he had done that I wasn't thinking straight. I thought I might be helping him.

But then again, so wasn't everyone that this child has come into contact with? In the end, they only pushed him further towards the edge. All he really wanted was for someone to believe that what he saw was truth. But now he has given up; only set on his own interests, only for forcing down the power that twisted him upon others. Just, perhaps, so that others could feel as he does.

As I write this I can hear him speaking with the spirit again. He's eager for next week, when the trial takes place. By the time you get this letter, you might already know who the new Cancer Saint is. However it turns out, I'll be sure to recount the details to you.

Write soon so I am sure you're okay. I doubt whether our letters at this point guarantee our safety.

-Mauro

-

 

06/08/1975

Mauro,

I'm alright. Just like you predicted, we found out about a day or two after your letter arrived that Deathmask is the new Cancer saint. With the news came the rumors about who he was, and how he was during his training. I knew about a few stories already from you, but some of the more exaggerated tales I couldn't help but laugh at, at least a little.

Let me know what happened. I can't trust the stories I'm being told here, so many miles away. I await to hear it from someone who was there.

-Lazaro

-

 

12/10/1975

My friend,

You'll have to forgive me for my lack of response since you last wrote. You've no doubt by now heard that I've abandoned my post as Saint. I will explain my reasoning below. If you wish to write to me again, you can use the forwarding address I've attached to this letter. I hope to hear from you soon, safe and sound.

But first, as promised, let me tell you what happened at the Trial so many months ago, which led to my decision to leave.

Arles arrived at Palermo as expected, and took myself along with the candidates and the other recruits towards Syracuse in the mid-afternoon. When we arrived, there were three boats silently waiting for us at the ports. Myself, the Pope and the candidates went upon one, while some of the Pope's officials and my remaining cadets boarded the other two.

Silently, we sailed into the night. I was unable to discern land once we had left shore. I kept my focus on my candidates, making sure they were resting up for whenever we did arrive at our destination. The only one who remained awake was Deathmask. When our eyes met he just ignored me, an attitude I was used to by this point. He only seemed focused on the ocean ahead, closing his eyes occasionally for reasons I will never know.

He was quiet. Usually at this time of night he'd be arguing with the woman, but not this night. Either she was gone or he was ignoring her with all his might. There was the occasional time though, that I would catch him glancing at Arles. His eyes seemed to catch something nobody else did. A knowing, sinister smile would cross his face that left me wondering what information he knew.

Now I'm not sure if you've had the chance to meet Pope Arles yet, but I assure you that he has a certain air about him that makes him intimidating. Very similar in height to the late Pope, he has long white hair and keeps his face covered in a blue mask with a red winged headdress. Throughout the trip the was donning gold robes, which as we were always told, was the tradition of the Pope during these trials. As mighty as he was, carrying a similar air to the late Pope, gone was the benevolence. There was something present that gave off a threatening cosmos. I began to understand his response to my report.

He also appeared focused on his mission, speaking very little to anyone, even me. Given the aura he emanated, I wasn't surprised at this. Nor did I want to bring the report up, out of concern for the consequences of doing so.

We had been at sea for hours when the rays of dawn began to emerge off the horizon. My candidates slowly awoke, and I heard stirring from the other boats. We drifted in a circle, and began to surround one specific spot in the Mediterranean.

As I mentioned, Arles' presence was intimidating, and in the rising dawn his booming voice carried over the sound of the ocean, reaching everyone's ears with ease. He began:

He called upon everyone's attention, and told us we might be wondering why we were brought out here to sea, and even more so, why this is was a part of the Trial of the Crab. The answer wasn't simple, he said, and neither is Cancer itself.

He explained that there are two contradicting tales of Cancer: in one, the crab is merely the servant of Hera, sent to kill Heracles. Instead, the crab met his own death upon being crushed. The other is of Crios, the guardian of Poseidon's nymphs, who suffered eternal pain as a consequence of protecting them from a sea monster that tricked him. In both, their gods honored their efforts them by placing them in the stars.1

In this way, Cancer is a servant, no doubt, but he was both attacker and defender, malicious and noble, foolish and wise. As the guardian of lost souls, it was up to Cancer to decide which role they would take; and regardless of what the world will think of them, only the Saint themselves will know the truth. And that truth will carry them forward as the new Gold Saint.  
  
The Pope stretched his hands over the water, and the small part we encircled began to stir. The water flashed, and my candidates began to look around them wildly, Deathmask included. With a clenching of his fist, the Pope's hand began to glow. All around we began to see numerous ghostly white wisps encircling us, crying out in pain.

Over their wails, the Pope explained that these are the lost souls of people who died at sea nine years prior2. Their souls still wander the depths. With his other hand he caused a rip in the sky above our boats. In an instant we were no longer in the ocean, but floating in an area of foggy darkness. Below us were violent storms of lightning and clouds all surrounded in a deep glow of red rings that tunneled ahead, farther than I could see. Disembodied voices were repeating something over and over again:

_Seikishiki meikai ha. Sekishiki meikai ha._

The Pope, over the din, dictated the mission of the candidates. Their trial was to bring these souls to the gates of the Underworld, in order for them to find peace. He could not guarantee their safety, as truly there should only be one that knows these secret words and have the power to use them as the Cancer Saint. With that, he gave them a final prayer: that they may follow the will of Athena, that they may carry the weight of both evil and good within them, and that they may fully understand the meaning of the Guardian of the Dead.

With that, my candidates one by one began to jump off the boat and moved forward into the abyss between life and death. Deathmask, for all his eagerness, was the last one to leave. He watched the others leap with either foolhardiness or fear ahead before making his descent into the darkness.

The boats began to gently float through the thick clouds of the storm, which blocked my view. Because of this, it's only in bits and pieces that I can tell you what happened next.

Through the clouds I began to watch them run. One of my candidates, Claire, had the lead initially. I could see her trying to herd the souls as much as she could through the squall. Suddenly the storm picked up, obscuring my view. The next time I had visibility, I saw her a few yards behind us, dead.

It's exactly like you said it was when you have your cadets chosen for a Trial. It will only be when you watch them die before you that you can begin to grasp the severity of their task.

I didn't have much time to mourn. It wasn't fully necessary, as I watched Deathmask kneel over the girl. He seemed to be drawing the spirits she was leading with him, increasing his number as he pushed forward.

Lightning struck and monstrosities that I can only describe as demonic began to claw at them from the storm. I saw arms outstretching to reach them. They had managed to grab the remaining two, Angelo and Deathmask. I strained to see through the clouds, watching them struggle to break free. Angelo managed to do so first, shooting forward to lead his spirits to the gate. Wondering what would happen to Deathmask, I watched one of the spirits in particular began to encircle the clawed hand that held him. He seemed to be shouting something as he pointed his free hand towards the spirit, as if to command it. The hand released him and he sprinted forward to close the distance between himself and Angelo.

The race went on, the two of them fighting and working together to escape the horrors of the tunnel, while keeping the lost souls from straying or overpowering them. We looked to be reaching the end as we arrived at a strange terrain. The souls of the dead were walking in a somber line towards a cliff, falling into an endless hole towards the Underworld.

This was it. The two of them were approaching, but had one final obstacle. A woman dressed in red and white robes with long, flowing black hair greeted them. She looked as pale as death itself and her flesh was rotting with maggots and other nauseating infections. Running through my memories, I recalled no such woman in our studies of Greek myth. Given that she was repeating the words that echoed through the entirety of the tunnel, I was becoming convinced that perhaps she wasn't of Greek origin at all.3

Stretching her arms towards them, they were greeted with a great force that knocked them back. I am sad to say that only one of them recovered. Kneeling beside Angelo like he did with Claire, Deathmask gathered the souls that his final rival was carrying. Standing before the woman, all of the souls of that sunken ship surrounded him. Trying to defend himself, he obviously began to develop a strategy.

With his hands he directed the spirits, using them to block the attacks of the woman. With a great cry he even pushed the hundreds of spirits to direct the blasts back at her. Down on her knees, the ghoul began one more attempt to attack, but Deathmask had the upper hand. Over the storm I heard him cry out, and the spirits began to swarm the ghastly being. They overwhelmed her, which led her to surrender. With a wave of her hand the spirits became still. Their frantic motions ceased and they were soon no more than soft lights that encircled him. She bowed to the victor, allowing the spirits to pass.

I watched the otherworldly wisps take the form of people. Slowly they formed a line and one by one passed through the gate. Deathmask watched them go. There were three remaining at the end of the line. Two were none other than the spirits of Claire and Angelo, who went peacefully to their final resting place.

The last was a woman, somebody Deathmask seemed to recognize. A young woman with black curly hair and homely attire. The two spoke far too softly for me to discern what was being said. But the conversation lasted some time. With a final wave goodbye, Deathmask bade farewell as she passed through the gate.

The rotting woman in white outstretched her hand, and before her appeared the Golden Cancer Cloth's box. Deathmask reached for it, and in flash of light we returned to the sea. Judging by the sun in the sky, it was more than likely high noon.

Deathmask still had his hand on the box, and had returned to the boat Arles and I were on. The two remaining vessels sailed closer, and it was then that Arles began the initiation.

He began the oath that both you and I swore into when we were inaugurated as Silver Saints, however he added an extension to it. He said that as a Gold Saint, not only was Deathmask to carry out the Law of Athena, but his life was now the law itself.

At this, Deathmask scoffed. Having carried for a brief moment the countenance of sadness, even mourning, at the words of Arles he perked back up and his confident smirk returned. He even went so far as to talk back to Arles, saying it was easy for him to say such words, but perhaps harder to follow them.

I tried to apologize for his behavior, but Arles only laughed. Why? Perhaps I'm better off not knowing. Given how my former pupil acted the night before, it looks like whatever he knew, is something that Arles is privy to. But I have a sneaking suspicion, and this is only slight, that perhaps there is more to Shion's passing than we were told. I dare not say more for the sake of my safety and yours.

As I was saying, the Pope laughed before he continued. He then began the oath we also took: He asked if he would swear to protect Athena's will with his life, and with his life after death.

My pupil shrugged, and said there were go guarantees, but if it helped Arles sleep at night, sure.

The box rattled strangely as he said this.

While this should have raised an obvious red flag, the Pope continued. He asked if he would swear to only use the cloth for the sake of Athena, to the best of his judgment.

Deathmask made a dismissive grunt as the box rattled again. He replied simply with a nod and a roll of his eyes.

While our oaths would have ended there, he had one more request of the young man. He asked him if he would swear to protect the house of Cancer from those who would defile it and the will of Athena.

To this Deathmask raised an eyebrow. He asked what made the Pope think that as the new Saint, he wouldn't defile it himself. He said once more that if it made Arles feel better about his choice, then yes(but he made no guarantees).

To this the box began to shake even more. Its lid flew open as the sacred pieces of the cloth, in the shape of the Crab, flew around the new Saint. The pieces of the cloth assembled themselves upon him, even if he was too small to have them fit perfectly yet. The cloth never ceased its rattling.

At this I had to decry the ceremony with my own protest. Everyone turned to me, and I spoke some more. I stated how I believed that Deathmask might be a dangerous choice for the role of Gold Saint, as he couldn't even concretely prove his loyalty. The look my former student gave me sent shivers down my spine. It was both knowing and threatening. While I couldn't see the Pope's face as he turned to me, I had a feeling he didn't have a pleasant expression either.

The great Arles simply told me that his test of loyalty would be proven between Deathmask, his cloth and Athena now-that it was not my place to decide.

I was dumbfounded that the Pope continued, inaugurating him as the new Cancer Saint, Deathmask. A sinking feeling welled in the pit of my stomach, and I feared for the future of the Sanctuary. Not only was this new Saint dangerous, I began to think the same of the Pope.

I know I promised myself I wouldn't say more, but I don't know when I'll hear from you again, if ever. I feel the following must be at least pondered on. There's a rumor they never found the former Pope's body. We all simply took his brother's word for granted that he passed. But wouldn't have there been a proper funeral, as is tradition when the Pope passes? Alas, there was no such thing for our benevolent Shion. I can only think the worst happened to him at the hands of his “brother”. If Arles even was his brother at all.

As for me, once Deathmask left to Greece, I returned to my duties as trainer. I was congratulated by many of the other Masters for my “discovery” and my efforts in training the new Saint. Unfortunately, not soon after I received a rather...direct message from Greece from the Cancer Saint himself. For the safety of my life, I was forced to leave my post. If things go as they should, a new Saint will take on the role of Ophiuchus, and represent it far better than I ever could.

Why as children, Lazaro? Why are we asked to take them in so young? There's no right time for anyone to experience the horrors of war, whether man-made or of the Gods, but much less children. Why as children are we given these gifts and talents? No child would have been of the right mind to handle the gifts Deathmask has. It makes me wonder if the idea of recruiting so young is wise at all.

I hope to return wiser, at least understanding how to comfort those so young as our trainees to better handle what they have, or most certainly will encounter.

If I do not hear back from you again, friend, it is my hope that you are well.

-Mauro

-

 

[DATE UNKNOWN]

Mauro,

Hope you're doing well, you old hack. I'm not one for wasting time with petty formalities like you. So, let's just cut to the chase.

When I got here, I was summoned to the Pope's chambers, and was curious about a strange parcel that was on his desk. Being the obnoxious shit that I am (according to you at least), I asked the Pope what it was all about. He told me it actually came from you! Who'd have thunk that you'd go snooping around in my past. I mean hell, I know you never liked me all that much, but to think you went that far? Impressive.

And to be quite honest, I'm not surprised you tried. I mean, ever since I was ten, people have been trying to box me (literally at one point) into something comfortable, _easy,_ so they don't have to think too hard about me.

They take one look at me, listen to me for five minutes, or even apparently look up my history; all in an attempt to figure me out. To _fix me_. Is that what you were trying to do as well, all this time? Tell me, cazzo 4, how did that work out for you?

In case you're wondering, I told him I didn't want to see it. It's only in fragments anyway. Besides, I'm better off not knowing. See, _Master_ , there's something you don't realize about me, regardless of how much “research” you did:

 

_**YOU.** _

_**ARE.** _

_**NOT.** _

_**ME.** _

 

And any attempts you make at trying to figure me out are going to fail.

Sure, what you found might be the facts, but they can't tell you everything. Do I remember tears, fear and hunger? Yeah. But I also remember the joys of revenge. I remember the constant returning of that woman who kept following me. Even if I'll never remember who she was, at least she stuck around. And you know what? For that alone, I don't need to know who she was.

She's gone now. I sent her to her final rest at the Trial. And you know what the crazy part is? Even she wasn't sure how I'm going to turn out. And hell, my cloth, the thing you promised I'd get if I sat through your boring lectures and laughable training, can't make up its mind about me; I can feel it shake when I wear it, like it's still trying to figure out what to make of me.

If you've made up your mind about me, so be it. But let me tell you that whatever you decided on, you're probably wrong. Reports, training, even following me for God knows how long, isn't enough for you to be the judge of who I am.

But let me tell you this; whoever is in charge, that's who I'm going to follow. I know firsthand that it's the only way things get done, and it's only those who prevail in power that will be remembered. Their take on the story will never account the intentions of the opposing force. If you think about it, who wants to cry over a victim when it's so easier to label them as a villain? Now that I have this power myself, I'll be able to show everyone what I mean.

Since you at least tried to understand me, I'll give you this one chance to spare yourself. Tell whoever you care about where you're going. Hell, feel free to tell them what you found out, I don't care. Just make sure I never see you again. I can't guarantee how my _poor, fragile, unstable_ mind will handle seeing somebody that tried to put me in another fucking box.

After all, my new temple is so beautiful, yet.... so empty. I look forward to acquiring a little more décor for the walls.

Your face seems like it would fit nicely.

[END PART 3]

 

 

1It is said that there are two myths tied to the myth of Cancer; one is that Cancer was the servant of Hera, sent to kill Heracles, and the other is of the guardian crab Crios, that was tasked with guarding Poseidon's nymphs: <http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/mythology-of-cancer.html>

2The S.S. Heraklion was a Greek Cruise Ship that sank in the Mediterranean sea near Crete in 1966. Over 200 people lost their lives in the sinking <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Heraklion>

3Izanami-no-Mikoto is the goddess of creation and death in Japanese Shinto Mythology. It is said that when she died she went to the realm of the dead, Yomi. Its entrance is known as Yomosu Hiraska, which the attack “sekishiki meikai ha” takes its user and opponent in the Saint Seiya series: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izanami-no-Mikoto>, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yomi>

4 Derogatory word in meaning "dick/prick" in Italian: **http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/italian-english/testa-di-cazzo**

 


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